Doonesbury began as a continuation of Bull Tales, which appeared in the Yale University student newspaper, the Yale Daily News, from 1968 to 1970. It focused on local campus events at Yale. It became a daily strip in twenty-eight newspapers and was the first strip from Universal Press Syndicate. A Sunday strip began on March 21, 1971. The strip became known for its social and political commentary and is one of the longest running comic strips of all time.

Doonesbury is written and penciled by Garry Trudeau, then inked and lettered by an assistant:Don Carlton then Todd Pound. Sunday strips are colored in by George Corsillo.